The best fall sourdough recipes that use sourdough starter for fall-inspired breads, rolls, cakes, and cookies.
Sourdough is for more than bread; it can be used in just about any baked good. And when fall rolls around and you’re craving pumpkin spice or apple cinnamon, your sourdough starter can still be part of the fun.
Don’t be afraid of a sour taste in these baked goodies. Adding starter to sweets mimics a sour cream or buttermilk flavor: slightly tangy, but not sour. Oftentimes you won’t notice any difference and no one will know that there’s sourdough in there at all!
Fall Baking Essentials
If you love fall quick breads and cakes, you will love having a special harvest themed baking pan like this sunflower harvest pan.
Boiled apple cider (concentrated apple cider) has rich apple flavor that’s delicious for any sweet sourdough baked good, as well as using to mix up a quick glaze.
Make sure to stock up on cinnamon, molasses, and nutmeg!
Sourdough Apple Cake
Our favorite use of sourdough discard in the crisp months, sourdough apple cake is loaded with cinnamon, cloves, and apples. Topped with a cream cheese frosting with a splash of apple cider, it’s a true taste of fall in one little pan.
GET THE RECIPE FOR SOURDOUGH APPLE CAKE
Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
Nothing says fall baking like pumpkin bread, and if you’re looking for a moist pumpkin bread with just the right amount of spice, this recipe can’t be beat. Great, classic pumpkin bread flavor and just the slightest bit of tang from the sourdough starter. One of my favorite fall sourdough recipes!
Who could resist a deep fried doughnut loaded with apple flavor? And this apple fritter recipe is light on the inside, slightly crisp on the outside, and has fresh apples in the batter. An absolutely delicious fall recipe!
These do need a lot of time before they’re ready, but a lot of that time is just waiting on your dough. Perfect for a weekend morning spent at home.
Cookies say fall is in the air and back to school, don’t they? And any little person would love to come home to a plate of these peanut butter cookies on the counter. This recipe uses just the right amount of sourdough discard for a soft and chewy peanut butter cookie that the whole family will love.
Fall is pie baking time. Whether your favorite is pumpkin, apple, or pecan, you need a pie crust. Why not use some of your discarded sourdough starter to make some? This recipe turns out a flaky and tender pie crust every time. You’ll appreciate the detailed instructions and step by step photos that ensure even beginners will get this one right!
There’s nothing like a big square piece of old fashioned gingerbread. Warm, spicy, and not too sweet, gingerbread is perfect in fall and will carry you all through the winter. This recipe is easy to make and produces a perfectly moist spiced cake that you will simply love.
Molasses cookies are one of the best fall desserts! The epitome of warm and cozy spices that smell absolutely delicious while they bake, and adding your starter to this cookie recipe is a great way to use it.
Like any great molasses cookies recipe, this one turns out crisp edges and a soft and chewy center. You will love them.
Two of the best things about baking cinnamon bread are warming up the kitchen in the morning and a sweet cinnamon smell wafting through the house. Cinnamon swirl bread is perfect for fall mornings, and you can make an easy version using your sourdough starter. This bread dough is easy to work with and uses no yeast. Shape in the evening and bake the next morning for a sweet and delicious breakfast loaf.
GET THE SOURDOUGH CINNAMON BREAD RECIPE HERE
Sourdough Apple Cobbler
Cobbler is one of the fall desserts because its easier than pie but just as delicious. And you can absolutely use your sourdough starter in your cobbler topping.
The recipe below can be used with any fruit. To make the best apple cobbler, simply mix up apples, sugar and spices. (And of course, top with vanilla ice cream!)
Oatmeal muffins are a cozy and delicious breakfast that can be made ahead and frozen. Muffins are a great way to use your sourdough discard, and these fall muffins are one of the best.
Making sourdough bread at home can be cheaper per loaf in the long run, but buying it might be more cost-effective if you value convenience or bake infrequently.
Sourdough bread's fiber, potassium, phosphorus, and sodium content all support a heart-healthy diet. The soluble fiber found in sourdough bread binds to dietary cholesterol in the small intestine, helping pass this fat through the system instead of absorbing it.
This rise is expected and is a good indicator of strong fermentation activity. However, depending on the type of flour you are using to feed your starter, it may not rise all that high and fall all that far—and that's okay.
Yes you can use sourdough starter after it falls. It's best to use it at its peak when the yeast colony is at its greatest, but using it after it falls is also possible. Using the starter after it's started collapsing is often used as a technique to make sourdough more sour.
Therefore, sourdough bread is not a safe choice for people with celiac disease or a wheat allergy, and it is not an ideal choice for people who are eating gluten-free or avoid wheat for any other reason.
The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is 50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and bread flour.
People with a gluten intolerance may find that sourdough is easier to digest, but people with celiac disease will likely still experience symptoms if they eat sourdough bread. If you have a gluten intolerance or celiac disease, consult with your physician before adding sourdough bread to your diet.
Research studies show that there are numerous benefits to eating sourdough bread. Given the fermentation process used, sourdough is rich in vitamins and minerals. The lactic acid bacteria in sourdough increases antioxidant levels which can help protect your cells from heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.
Sourdough bread is also high in fiber, which helps you stay full longer and eat less throughout the day. Therefore, it allows you to lose weight. Try a slice of sourdough toast with a small amount of almond butter or mashed avocado. Dark rye bread tastes great and is also a winner when it comes to losing abdominal fat.
If you don't want to put the dough in the fridge for a cold ferment, you can leave it to proof on the counter for a little while. You do need to be careful not to let it over ferment. Ideally, you want the temperature to be on the cooler side (no more than 21C / 69.8F). Let the dough relax into the banneton.
Although you need an active, well-maintained starter for certain artisan breads, you can still make tasty bread with a sluggish, slow starter so you don't have to discard sourdough starter daily. In fact, many of my favorite sourdough bread recipes use discard for flavoring to give bread that classic tang.
The Number #1 Reason your sourdough bread might be flat is using the wrong flour. Bread mix, all-purpose flour, self-raising flour or cake flour can produce undesirable results when making sourdough. They are purposed for cakes, slices, muffins, and other cooking.
Keep feeding your starter, and you'll see normal activity (bubbles) return in a few days. If your starter has a bit of dark liquid on top, it's not dead! It simply means it's hungry and that it's time to feed it. Unless your starter has a pink or orange hue or is beginning to mold, you probably haven't killed it yet.
Do you stir sourdough starter before using? It really doesn't matter whether you stir your sourdough starter before you use it. Because ingredients are measured in grams, your sourdough starter will weigh the same whether it's been stirred or not.
Bread machines require some upfront investment and involvement. But they undeniably save significant money over time, especially for frequent bread eaters. The convenience, tastes, and health perks are added bonuses. Taking the homemade approach is the financially smarter choice.
While buying a sourdough starter is very easy online, it's a very easy process to do at home! Plus, creating your own starter exposes you to the signs of fermentation, what steps you need to perform to maintain your starter, and gives you a chance to get to know the feeding (refreshment) process.
First and foremost, it has a high nutritional value and none of the additives (no added sugar, either) you'll find in most store-bought breads. It also tastes amazing: classic, hearty bread (that's not overly sour) with a thick, crusty exterior and a soft, springy interior.
In a nutshell, if you are making a lot of bread, the sourdough starter will be cheaper than yeast. But if you're baking once a week or less, and don't need to bake large amounts of bread, then the yeast will probably be cheaper, if not quite as delicious.
Introduction: My name is Kelle Weber, I am a magnificent, enchanting, fair, joyous, light, determined, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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